1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the installation of closet spuds in plumbing fixtures such as water closets and urinals.
2. Background
Closet spuds are used for connecting water supply and discharge lines to the inlet and outlet holes, respectively, of plumbing fixtures. The closet spud includes a couple having a flared portion at one end thereof, a rubber gasket circumscribing the flared portion and having a corresponding flared portion, a friction ring abutting the rubber gasket and a coupling nut threaded on the threaded portion of the other end of the couple.
To install the closet spud in the fixture the flared portion of the couple and gasket are inserted into the inlet/outlet hole of the fixture. Subsequent thereto, the coupling nut is tightened on the couple to cause the flared portion of the gasket to expand against the perimeter of the hole.
Those who install closet spuds find it convenient to insert the spud into the inlet/outlet hole of the fixture in a semi-expanded condition where the outside diameter of the flared portion of the rubber gasket is larger than the diameter of the inlet/outlet hole of the plumbing fixture. Therefore, the spud must be press-fitted into the hole of the plumbing fixture. After the spud is inserted, the coupling nut is securely tightened relative to the couple to provide a tight seal between the spud and the inlet.
Conventionally, the closet spud is inserted into the inlet/outlet hole of the fixture by hand. However, due to the manner in which the spud is press-fitted into the hole of the fixture, it is extremely difficult to insert the spud using only one's hands. Specifically, it is difficult to apply a sufficient and uniform force against the periphery of the spud such that the rubber gasket is uniformly compressed to permit the flared portion of the gasket to pass through the hole of the fixture. Hand insertion generally results in the application of a non-uniform force causing the spud to become misaligned relative to the hole. In many instances this results in cracking of the extremely brittle fixture. There is no known device for uniformly inserting the spud into the inlet of a plumbing fixture so as to overcome the disadvantage discussed above.
The only known device which is pertinent to the installation of a spud is a device for tightening the coupling nut after the spud has been inserted into the inlet of the fixture by hand. Such a device is disclosed in Pluntz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,141. As shown in FIG. 1 the Pluntz device includes a block 2 for holding the couple A of the spud while a ratchet device 5 rotates the coupling nut D relative thereto to secure the spud in the inlet/outlet hole of the fixture.
As the Pluntz device is rather large and cumbersome, it is designed solely for tightening the spud subsequent to the insertion thereof. The spud device is not designed for inserting the spud into the hole of the fixture.
Accordingly, the internal closet spud insertion wrench of the present invention fills the void in the art of spud installation.